Statement from Ballymena Festival Executive Committee regarding trophies:

Those who attended Ballymena Festival in 2023 will have noticed that in some sections, fewer cups and trophies than normal were presented to winners. Modern Dance and Traditional Dance were able to continue as normal thanks to their having a sub-committee to take care of retrieving, cleaning and placing trophies appropriately. However, since the Trophy Secretary’s retirement in 2022, the other sections have found it impossible to find anyone willing to take on this very demanding role. Consequently, the Festival Committee agreed that a change in policy was needed to make trophy presentation manageable.

From 2023 onward, where a section has nobody designated to look after trophies:

● Miniature trophies, to be retained by the winner, will be given to children of Primary School age

● Certificates, to be retained by the winner, will be given to children of post-Primary age

● Cups or trophies will be presented only to groups, for example choirs, orchestras, choral speaking choirs

This means that we now need to deal with hundreds of trophies that are no longer going to be presented. All the trophies have been photographed and winners have been recorded over the years.

● Trophies dating back to the early years of the Festival will be donated to the Braid Museum for storage and occasional display.

● Some trophies will be repurposed for use in other sections of Ballymena Festival or donated elsewhere so that their presentation life can be prolonged.

● Where possible, we will offer to return a trophy in good condition to its original donor or to a family connection.

● Remaining trophies in good condition will be offered to repeat winners, or to schools which have supported the Festival for a long time.

● There are some very worn and damaged trophies which are no longer fit for presentation as a prize. We will dispose of these as it makes no sense to store them.

Ballymena is not the only Festival to be facing problems with storing and administering trophies with some Festivals opting to dispense with trophies altogether. We hope that the new policies will be a practical solution to our difficulties. Please be assured that we appreciate the generosity of donors in giving trophies in the past, and we will be as sensitive as possible during the redistribution process.

Ballymena Festival March 2023